POV: Armaan
How can she? The women that I loved with all my heart, the women that I shared all my feelings with, the women that I thought I could trust cheated on me. She cheated on me with her best friend, that good-for-nothing loser. The guy that I despised, the guy that I knew was trouble from the first day I laid my eyes on. I'm so fucking done with life!
"Get ready for a divorce. I hope you have a wonderful and fair life with Naina and I promise you, I'll have a beautiful life with MY child," she said and headed upstairs without sparing me another glance.
As I saw her disappearing figure go further and further away from me, I just knew, I just knew that this wasn't just physical but also mental. She's going away from me, from her Maan.
I gripped my hair as the flashback hit me...
Flashback:
As I sat behind my desk, the memories of Ki and I were lingering around my head. Her warm smile, her laugh, her eyes, her talk and seriously everything about her and just by thinking about her, a smile crept up my face.
My cabin door flew open as that horrendous beast named Naina walked in. Her heels violently clicked on the hard, tiled floor with confidence.
"I suggest you start knocking," I hissed. Why does she always have to ruin my moments and moods with her fucking unwanted presence?
"Oh Armaan, what I'm about to tell you and show you will knock you out of Kiara's love spell," she hissed back with a slight chuckle. I studied her carefully, why did she think I was stupid?
"I don't have time for your silly talks or games, just get out of here and let me work," I sighed, trying not to lose my calm, besides I could sense trouble.
"Trust me, Armaan, you probably want to hear me out for this one. I promise it's worth it," she said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.
"I don't mind calling security an-" I started my sentence but was soon cut off by Naina.
"She's cheating on you with her best friend Aarav. They were, laughing, holding hands, they seemed pretty serious and oh god, they were also kissi-" she started but this nonsense was too much for me to handle. I aggressively banged my fist on the table. Piles of files and paper faceplanted to the ground.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE NOW!" I shouted real aggressively making Naina flinch by both my actions and my tone.
"I have proof Armaan," she pulled out her phone and tapped something on the screen before forwarding the device towards me. I didn't take it though, I know its probably some made-up bullshit but then,
"I'm sorry but Naina is right," I heard a familiar voice from behind. I turned my head to find Trisha standing there with tears rolling down her face. No, no, no.
Trisha took the device from Naina and handed it to me. I grabbed the phone hesitantly, my fingers were trembling as I played the video and my eyes teared up. There she was, Ki, my Ki sitting in a corner of a coffee shop, laughing, talking with a man that I instantly recognised, Aarav, and then... then... then they kissed. She seemed so comfortable with him. I dropped the phone and my knees landed hard on the cold ground as my legs gave up.
My heart skipped a beat. Kiara, the one that I love, the one that I trusted, the one that I visioned my future with cheated on me and for whom, fucking Aarav. That's equivalent to cheating with a fucking pig.
"No, no, no, this is fake, this could easily be altered with, right?" I gripped my hair so hard that it started to sting. Kiara could never do this! I trust her, she could never.
"I saw them, I saw Bhabhi and that guy, they were... umm... I'm so sorry Armaan but this is the truth," Trisha said. I don't care what she saw, I made a mental note to myself to get the footage checked incase it's altered.
"You probably saw wrong Trisha, the things you see with your eyes aren't always accurate or true!" I shouted.
"Armaan, just think about it. Who has Kiara been hanging out a lot lately with? Aarav right?" She said. I thought about it for some minutes and yes, she wasn't wrong. These days Ki has been hanging out with him a lot. I felt a knot form in my stomach as Trisha's words echoed in my mind, creating doubts that never existed until now.
Flashback ends
I couldn't take it anymore, I slipped on my shirt, grabbed my car keys and headed out. I need to get out of here, this place is becoming suffocating.
...
"One more, one more whiskey," I demanded the bartender. I lost how many glasses I've drunk but one thing is for sure, I'm breathing with pain.
Instead of facing my problems like a real man, I'm here, in a bar, drinking endless amounts of toxins to ease my brain but somehow it's not working.
Ki's words kept repeating in my head like a tape, "Divorce," "baby," baby? Was Kiara actually pregnant? With all that rage I was blinded and that's when I recalled my own words, "By the way whose baby is this?" Holy shit, how did I even utter those words. Obviously, it's mine, it has to be right? But Aarav... no, no, no, what the fuck was I even thinking, my Cinnamon could never. Shit, shit, shit wh-
My thoughts were cut off by a familiar voice, "Mr Mehra, is that you?" I slightly turned my head back. A tall man with black hair, brown eyes, a sharp jawline and wearing a fancy, grey suit vest was staring right into my soul and who else could it be, Reyansh Rajvansh, of course. My dashing business rival.
"Reyansh, nice to meet you," I returned a drunk smile. He's seriously the last person I wanted to see tonight.
"You know alcohol is bad for you right?" he took a seat next to me.
"Not as bad as betrayal, and thank you for your not-so-wanted advice," I took another big gulp from my drink.
"Fair enough, I'm guessing love, right? Work doesn't hurt as much as love," he gave a light chuckle. Reyansh Rajvansh, the one and only Reyansh, the coldest, ruthless and workaholic who doesn't have time for love is talking about love.
"Who fixed your fucked up brain?" I asked while giving him back a chuckle.
"I don't know myself, but I can tell you one thing, love comes with no betrayal. If you love someone you will never betray them and if they love you, they will never betray you. So Mr Mehra, who betrayed who?" Reyansh leaned on the bar bench and that's when I saw a ring on his finger. This bastard's married but when?
"You're married?" I asked knowing the answer.
"Oh yeah, I would've invited you but the circumstances in which our marriage took place weren't pleasant," he smiled. He smiled. Reyansh is giving way to many surprises but who am I kidding, I was just like him and then Ki came into my life.
"Whose the unlucky one? I hope she or he's a human since you never associate with anyone but work," I chugged the last remaining liquid in my glass.
"Someone special, and no she's a wonderful human you bastard," he smiled again, nope he was blushing. "Anyways, we're here to talk about you, what and how did you fuck up?"
I sighed and told him everything, from loving Naina to falling for Ki to believing my ex and my best friend to losing Ki and MY UNBORN BABY. FUCK!
Reyansh laughed, I'm sitting here in sorrow and regret and this motherfucker is laughing.
"Sorry, this just brings back so many memories. Anyways, you are a bastard and a big one but the question is, do you love her and are you certain that she cheated? What does your heart tell you?" he asked.
"I don't know, I don't know Reyansh. I love her and that's for certain and my heart keeps screaming to me that she didn't cheat, there is no way she cheated on me, but those videos, those videos and Trisha and oh god this is all so confusing," tears started to run down my burning hot cheeks and I looked down, unable to meet my eyes with anyone.
"It's okay Armaan, at a point we all fuck up but what's important is that we fix what we fucked up. You my friend fucked up really bad. Do you want her though?"
"Yes, I love her off course I want her," I snapped my head up.
"Right, if you love her then let's get to the bottom of this and if you don't then leave it. Who cares right?"
"No, I love her."
"Great, I think I can help you with that mate if, of course, you want it." This Reyansh is different, he's understanding, he values love, hell he knows more about love than me. Who is this special person who changed him so much?
I nodded my head, I need help.
"Follow me Devdas," he got up from his seat and motioned me to follow him. Devdas? since when did he start watching such movies?
"Shit Ari, what have you done to me?" I heard him curse under his breath. Ari? Oh, that makes sense. Ari is his special 'human' woman I guess.
We walked into a VIP room in the bar, the interior was superior. Leather seats, their own bar, damn the rug and of course the VIP familiar faces.
"Holy shit! Is that my ex-girlfriend," another familiar voice caught me by surprise, Abhimanyu off course. Abhimanyu and I were friends back in the day, his dad and my dad were kinda close so we hung out most of the time but soon drifted apart when work consumed Dad's time.
"Why do you look like shit Armaan?" and Aditya, we were classmates back in high school and I was never a fan of him. He usually hung out with Reyansh, which makes sense as both of them are cold. Colder than ice.
"Armaan's hit a rift, and he needs our help," Reyansh said while closing the door behind him.
"Girl problem?" Abhimanyu asked.
"She's my wife," I snapped and he chuckled.
"Ari babe, this is Armaan, one of my business rivals," he introduced me to his wife who was short, brown eyes, lightly tanned skin and long chestnut brown hair.
"Hi, I'm Aria, Reyansh's wife," she introduced herself and I gave her a small nod.
"Hi, I'm Hita," a woman with long black hair, and tanned skin introduced herself.
I gave her a quick nod, I don't care who she is.
"He's a dick butterfly," I heard Abhimanyu bitching about me to Hita and from the corner of my eye I could see Hita giving Abhimanyu a deathly glare. She seems to be Abhimanyu's girl.
"Hey, whatever happened I'm pretty sure you can fix it," Aria comforted me. No Aria, this is too serious.
"Spill," Aditya demanded. I looked down and again narrated the whole story, I was unable to meet their eyes.
"You are a sick man, have you ever thought for once that she could be innocent, and that baby could be yours? You claim that you love her but did you hear her out? What if that video isn't real?" Aria said and walked away from me and stood next to Reyansh after I finished my story. She was disgusted, and why wouldn't she, I was disgusted myself. Reyansh pecked her on her forehead and said, "It's okay love." A pang of jealousy hit me, I wish my relationship with Ki were like this. It was but I fucked up.
"I agree with you Aria, this is unacceptable," Hita added, shaking her head.
"I think Rika can check if the video is altered or not, she's actually really good at stuff like this," Aditya said, locking eyes with a girl shorter than Aria, god how short are these women? They don't even come up to my shoulders.
"Harika, it's Harika and yes indeed I am," she said with confidence. However, I could sense the tension between those two. I'm guessing he fucked up too, why are we all like this?
"Thank you Harika," I said. I was genuinely grateful to her.
"Hmm, so you wanna give me the video or what? and Reyansh can I borrow your Mac?" She seemed pissed and disappointed in me, I can't blame her, I deserve it.
I took out my phone and forwarded the video to Reyansh's email.
"Why do you have a Mac at a bar?" Abhimanyu questioned Reyansh as he pulled out his Mac from his suitcase. I had the same question.
"Work has no time, it can come at any minute. I like to be prepared," he sighed. Reyansh gave Harika his Mac and she immediately started aggressively typing on it.
"Calm down women, it's my Mac," Reyansh started biting his nails like a child.
"Sorry Reyansh, it's just that some people here are pissing me off," she looked at both Aditya and me. The two fucked up messes I guess.
"Oh shit, this footage has been manipulated and played with. None of this is real, oh wait no some of it is but not all. Shit, it's AI-generated," she said after ten or so minutes.
"Hold up, what do you mean? is it fake?" realisation was hitting me like a bitch. Somehow, I was expecting this.
"Yeah, gimmie me five minutes, I'll try and retrieve the original footage," she focused back on retrieving the real footage.
Whatever the outcome of the footage is, I know, I know I've lost her. I've lost my lifeline, I've lost my love, I've lost at life and what hurts the most is that I've lost being a father.
"Yep, got it! But you Armaan, are in big trouble," Harika shrieked loudly. Why is she so loud?
"Men," I heard Aria shake her head with disappointment and Reyansh chuckled.
Harika handed me the Mac and now I was nervous, I was nervous to be proven wrong, I was nervous to face Kiara, and I was nervous to feel the guilt and regret that had slowly been creeping up on me. Fuck!
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